The present invention relates essentially to a device for collecting water which is flowing towards a side window of a vehicle and, more pertinently, to such a device for intercepting rain or dirty water flowing off of the front windshield of a motor vehicle.
Prior art vehicular water collecting devices utilize catch channels which are incorporated into the side of the windshield, the windshield column, or the rubber sealing bordering the windshield. These catch channels usually include a front edge which protrudes outwardly from the external surface of the vehicle.
The purpose of the channels is to collect rain or other dirty water which is blown across the windshiled towards the sides of the vehicle by the force of wind resulting from the travel of the vehicle. Thus, the catch channels prevent the water from reaching the vehicle's side window panes.
Maintaining the side windows free from water is a significant safety factor. For example, in the case of motor vehicles, the soiling or wetting of the front side windows is especially undesirable because the panes must remain clear so that the side view mirror may be used without impaired visibility.
A major disadvantage of these prior art devices is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to guide the collected water downward through the channels in a predetermined path without altering the external appearance of the vehicle. Such prior art devices may prevent water, flowing laterally off of the windshield, from flowing directly onto the side windows. However, because these prior art channels usually terminate in a region adjacent the bottom portion of the side window, there exists a substantial possibility that the collected water exiting from the channels might again be forced into the vicinity of the side window pane. Yet another disadvantage is that the construction of these prior art devices requires the utilization of special components having comparatively complex shapes, e.g., a frame for the windshield must be provided with a specially constructed channel.